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Part III :
Cattle and buffalo Breeds
On 3
rd
October 2015, the State Government has come out with new “Odisha Bovine Breeding Policy,
2015” to make dairy farming economically viable. The policy aims to increase number of economically
productive milch animals, conserve and improve indigenous germ plasm, increase local adaptability
of dairy animals. The Odisha Livestock Resource Development Society (OLRDS) is the principal
implementing agency for the policy. The policy envisages to gradually replace popular low-milk-
yielding cow breed with high-yieldTharparkar and Binjharpuri breeds. It calls for genetic up-gradation
programme with the introduction of germplasms of Sahiwal, Gir and Tharparkar. Rather than mating
stray bulls with cows, more scientific and technology-driven artificial insemination programme would
be put in place. The target is to cover at least 40 per cent of the non-descript cattle, 70 per cent of
the cross bred cattle and 40 per cent of the buffaloes under organised breeding programme. In order
to produce good quality stock with higher production potentiality, the Government plans to use
imported and progeny tested exotic semen.